ADHD in Translation

The English to Chinese Translation Distinctions

Abstract

The topic of cross-cultural consistency in China has been a topic for multiple researchers of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) (e.g., Alban-Metcalfe et al., 2002; Gueorguieva, 2015; Li et al., 2002; Pickering & Nie, 2016). However, the evaluation of cross-cultural equivalence through translation analysis remains relatively untouched, much less regarding the commercial translation of diagnostic guidelines. The current study aimed to address these gaps by examining the linguistic and cultural differences between Chinese and English versions of diagnostic manuals (i.e., DSM-5, ICD-11) and qualitatively exploring its implications on cross-cultural bias. The findings demonstrated some translation shifts, particularly modification and restructure adjustments, across all diagnostic manuals, with marginally higher frequencies in the DSM-5. Additionally, these shifts may reflect minor to moderate cross-cultural bias across all domains (i.e., construct bias, method bias, item bias). This study not only expands the application of translation analysis in psychological assessment research but also proposes a novel foundation of inquiry for the cross-cultural validation of ADHD diagnostic practices.